#gay memoirs

[wttnblog]

The 10 Best Queer Memoirs of All Time

I’m back again with another best of all time list for Pride month! This time, I’m going to be talking about the 10 best queer memoirs of all time. These memoirs oftentimes defy traditional narrative structure, mixing genres and infusing even the writing itself with a queerness just as palpable as that of the writers themselves. Strong disclaimer that this list only includes books I’ve actually…

[briebysabs]

The crazy thing about the “are interested in kisses” panel isn’t the line itself but that Noé deadass considered it. This man, for a couple seconds, imagined himself locking lips with Vanitas. Everyone talks about Vanitas flirting here but he wasn’t serious.

They met two days ago.

[dashie-nightingale]

Spot the angst

[joejoeba]

i just remembered how many gold ships there are in JoJo like it truly does not get more wild. Every one hits in some wild offshoot bullseye

[mistninja]

Fitz writing his silly little memoir in his man cave at withywoods after the events of fool's fate: I'm content with my heterosexual marriage but wouldn't it be crazy if the fool appeared right now at my door haha. Anyways

[constantine-2005]

every gay friend group

[callilemon]

Dance with me under the moonlight ✨️

[richincolor]

On Book Bans 📚

The 2023 Banned Books Update is out from PEN America, and you should definitely check it out. One data point that leapt out to me: 

“Overwhelmingly, book banners continue to target stories by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. In this six-month period, 30% of the unique titles banned are books about race, racism, or feature characters of color. Meanwhile, 26% of unique titles banned have LGBTQ+ characters or themes.“

And what can you do about it? This thread from Kelly Jensen has plenty of resources. Here is a Book Riot round-up of anti-censorship groups across America, and here is a post on how to fight book bans. 

Kelly Jensen on Twitter is a great follow for anti-book-ban resources and efforts, as is Florida Freedom to Read. 

TL;DR -- the best way to help is to get involved locally: 

attend school board meetings

keep up with what your local library is up to

write to your local representatives

call out book ban attempts and hate groups

donate to groups fighting book bans

and of course, don’t forget to vote

tell others about what is happening -- don’t let this fly under the radar

[alexbutrandomthoughts]

Something about cutting throats and being beautiful idk

[alovelywaytospendanevening]

I made Penguin Classics covers for some old gay novels.

(Part 2)

[caesarandthecity]

The First Photo After a Year and Seven Months in Prison

The first photo after a year and seven months in prison feels different. The world after a year and seven months in prison feels different. Even though I kept up with the outside world through TV and newspapers, the world outside isn’t the same. After a year and seven months, when I was released from prison, I didn’t know who had arrived, who had left. I didn’t know what was new, what was old, what was trending. Honestly, I still don’t know, even after eight months of freedom.

It feels like I was frozen in time while the whole world kept turning. People, of course, continued with their lives, while I was stuck there, in prison. The feeling of being smaller, of being lesser than everyone else, gnawed at me and left deep scars until I had to fight and confront myself. I had to rethink everything I knew about prison. Not everyone sees it the same way, but I needed to find some kind of beauty in that experience, because I lived it so intensely that it had to mean something.

In the early days, I thought I was going to lose my mind, that I was going to lose everything. So, I had to start working on myself. I began developing myself personally. I read every book on personal growth I could find. I took every online course I could. I re-learned high school material. I understood that the most important thing about being in prison was what I was going to do with it, and I decided that I was going to make the best of it.

I did yoga naked in a cell. I danced naked in a cell. I made friends, told jokes until late at night, laughed until my stomach hurt. I cried many times. I slept hungry, woke up thirsty. My privacy was ripped away, exposed, shattered. I was diminished, dehumanized. I fought for rights and realized, most of the time, it wasn’t worth it. I translated documents in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French. I worked on immigration cases. I wrote every day. I taught classes. I exercised. I did and lived the best I could in that situation.

I think that’s why I don’t feel ashamed to say I was in prison, that I was incarcerated. Because sometimes people don’t see it the same way, and that’s okay. As I tell everyone, prison was the worst and the best lesson of my life.

[memoirs-of-a-sapphic]

YALL I FUCKING DID IT!!! I PROPOSED LAST NIGHT!!! AND SHE SAID YES!!!!!

WE'RE ENGAGED NOW!!!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[briebysabs]

How can it be possible to love a person like me?

[redmemoirs]

so like. does he do this every night

[gilliebee]

[14carrotghoul]

WIP Wednesday

It's been a long time but I'm finally done with travel for a bit AND I have finally brainstormed an ending for my cheating fic sequel!!!!

Thanks a million to @suseagull04 @cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @alasse9 @welcometololaland @firenati0n and whoever else has tagged me recently but have gotten buried in my notes over the last couple weeks 😭😭

Here is a meaty lil excerpt from an interview between June and Henry! I'm running out of sections that don't give away plot but I'm free to do a lot more writing now!!! So fingers crossed I finally post in July!!!

Q: You once said that the characters that are fan favorites happened to be the ones you infused with your traits. How have you found the experience of writing yourself and what response are you anticipating considering fan reactions in the past?

A: Oh, it was horrible writing myself. I'm glad I did it, but it was extraordinarily difficult for me.

I didn't mean for or expect readers to latch onto those specific characters. In early drafts, they felt flat and I thought giving them my flaws would round them out in a way that served the story: James’ self-destruction and self-hatred; Ollie's sensitive and vulnerable nature; Adam’s tendency to put up emotional walls. Ollie, in particular, was such a gentle and important character, and as a writer, I understood that his greatest flaw was also his greatest strength; I just couldn't accept the same about myself.

Writing my own character and confronting my importance felt like walking naked into a town square. I couldn't hide any part of myself without feeling like I was betraying all of the hard work it took to get to this point, but I so desperately wanted to cover up the parts that brought me most shame.

In fact, I'd love nothing more than to edit out this question, but my loved ones would be proud to hear me say this.

I began rooting for me once my voice was put on paper. When I externalized everything and saw Henry as a character in a story, I wanted better for him, same as I would for any character enduring difficult circumstances. I hadn't realized how unfair I was being to myself, and I don't want to treat myself that way anymore.

Anyway, I'm cautiously optimistic about the readers’ opinions. I also think I'm better equipped than I've ever been to handle criticism. We'll see in March, I suppose.

Tagging @read-and-write- @happiness-of-the-pursuit @sherryvalli @inexplicablymine @caterpills @dumbpeachjuice @firenati0n @heysweetheart-writes @myheartalivewrites @xthelastknownsurvivorx and any other lovely people that I'm forgetting! I have like one brain cell rn thanks to sleep deprivation 🤪